Threadless lock nut and bolt



Sept, 5 1950 E. w. CORRIGAN ET AL THREADLESS LOCKNUT AND BOLT Filed Feb.'12, 1947 Z75 Z927? Cbrrv' 1917773777 11. L777 Patented Sept. 5, 1 9 50Elwyn Watt' Corrigari", flamiltonj' oiitarib, and f t Q I, WilliamLindner, Ancasten j ontario, Canada Application-February12, 1947,'SerialNb."72s,'0s0 I I The invention relates in general to. fasteners of thejlock-nut type and particularly to improve.-v ments in means foreffectively holding a nut loko ona bolt orv the like. I

fThe paramount object of the invention is to provide a fastener of thekind referred to, in which a recessed nut body is provided with aninternal arrangement of wedging faces against which wedge platesareforced by inward pressure imparted to a backing plate whereby tocausethe wedge plates to effectively lock the fastener on the shank of a boltor the like.

A further object of the present inventio is to prgyide a locking deviceof this character in which th' parts are loosely retained in assembledrelation by means of a split ring seated in a groove sloping upwardly atone side to a second groove into which the split ring slides as thewedge plates are brought into a lockingyposition. According to thisarrangement the split ring also retains the assemblage when the wedgeplates lock the fastener on the bolt and enables the fastener to beunlocked at will for removal from the bolt.

A still further and important object of the invention is to provide alocking device as herein set out which is designed to be used on a plainshank ofabolt, i. e., one that is not made with threads. To this end thewedge plates are supplied with sharp teeth for biting into the plainshank to prevent backward movement of the locking device.

The invention provides a highly eflicient and serivceable fastener whichis inexpensive to manufacture.

A selected form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross section on line ll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the fastener of the presentinvention placed on a bolt but not locked thereto.

Fig. 3 is an outer end elevation of the fastener.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the fastener taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the fastener inlocked position on the bolt.

Fig. 6 is a similar cross section to Fig. 4 but shows the fastenerlocked on the bolt by means of the wedge plates, as in Fig. 5.

In the drawing, the invention is illustrated-by way of example but notof limitation as comprising a fastener in the form of a nut havingseveral sets of wedge plates for looking it on the plain shank of a boltin order to hold objects through which the bolt is inserted. The bolt isindicated at 8 and its plain shank is denoted at 9. The

Meatplain shanki is intended to mean made with threads; The nutvisapplied todihe: protruding end of the shank and the objects held;indicated by thereference numeral lfi,,are,merely shown to give a betterunderstanding of the in: vention.

The nut of the present invention comprises av body H provided with achamberl2extending inwardly from its inner side to the radial wall'llinat the outer side. In the present instance rthe a recess or.chamber is.substantially conical. and. supplied with aseries of stepslxl l. .The.borez. diminishes toward'said walli l3 whichis centrally. pierced, asat. [5 receptive totheshanks which.

.passes freely therethrough. Theisteps'pld are of annularconfigurationand each with the exception of theinnermost one is:

formedwith an inner wedge face, as at It, and

an outer thrust face H which is straight, or in other words, of uniformdiameter. a

as bestcdiscernible from an inspection of Fig. 7.

5 The'wedge plates form substantiallysemi-circular elements andthose ofeach set are of a diameter to correspond to a step of the bore l2 ofthe'nutbody and have a beveled edge I9 for mating with the wedge face Itthereof. The central recess 20 of a wedge plate enables it to partlyencircle the shank and presents an edge which is sharpened toacutting-edge 2| for biting into the shank. Said cutting edge conformsin circularity to the diameter of said shank.

As represented in Fig. 2, in assembly, the sets of wedge plates areseated in the chamber l2 with their beveled edges I9 engaged with thewedge faces l6 of the respective steps l4 and are loosely retained by abacking plate 22. In this arrangement the cutting edges 2| of the wedgeplates surround the shank and there is a gap, indicated at 23, Fig. 4,between the two wedge plates of a set in order that they may approacheach other more closely in the locking operation whereby they are forcedto bite into the shank.

Said backing plate is located at the inner end of the nut-body to bearagainst the adjacent face of the material In to be held by the bolt. The

backing plate is an apertured disk which is a slide pieces. The outerside of groove 24 is gradually sloped upwardly to a second groove,denoted at 21.

with the .wedge, plates when the nut is not locked I on the bolt. Tolqck-ftljaleinut pressu'reis :apr'ilie'cl i on the body I l thereof tocausethe backing plate to force the wedge plates inwardly. In thisoper-.

ation the wedging faces drive the cutting edges into biting engagementwith theshank'an'd'ithe wedge plates have displacing movement toward theinner end of the chamber; -Asfthe"backing plate slides inwardly theretaining ring is'forced into the outer groove 21 andsthusthe parts aresecured in locked condition to preclude backward movement of the nut onthe bolt-seeFig. 5.

In the locked positions of the wedge plates the outer edges thereof-areseated against the straight sections of the stepped bore I2 whichpositively prevents theiroutwardmovement. In the locking-operation therequired pressure can be conveniently applied on the body II by means-oftool such as that indicated at in dashlines, fortwhich purpose thebody'may be or the shape ofafrustum ofsa cone. The outer end l3 of thebody II is. desirably provided with holes 3|. To remove .the nut'it is.merely necessary to expand theiretaining 'rin LiShby forcing its endpieces apart, which unlocks the backing plate 22 and enables: the .wedgeplates: tov be :dislodgedby forcing the body.- I l: awayfroml the.secured elements .The invention provides. a highly eflicient andserviceable. lockv nutin which one or more sets of wedge plates may. beemployed. The nut maybe applied to. anbolteshanln stud or similarconnecting element. e I

--.What is claimed is:

1. A locknut. comprisin .a body. provided with aqchamberrhavingadiametrically stepped sur face includinga-wedge. facegwedgeplates.radiallydisposed in-said chamber .and forcible radially by said wedge.face .forlocking engagement with a shank of a bolt or the like, abacking plate in said chamber, said backing plate provided with a firstgroove and a second groove, said first groove having a side wallgradually sloping toward said second groove, a split resilient ringseated in said first groove and also fitted in a groove provided in saidchamber whereby to retain the l eplatesangl the backing ripg loosely as-9mbl i -1 as m rr ed adapted to slide into said second groove whenthe'backing .plate and said body are pressed together to effect "saidlocking engagement. .2. A look nut comprising a body recessed from aninner end to provide an annular chamber reduced bya series of steps eachof a uniform diameter a'ndhaving a bevel face at its outer end, sets ofradial wedge plates having inner and outer radial sides and disposed insaid chamber, each set forming segments of a ring, said sets being ofstepped diameters to correspond with said steps of said chamberandthewedge plates of 'ea'chset having-peripheral bevel faces at said Outer,radial sides for engaging the bevelfface of the corresponding step tocause saidwedge'plates to move inwardly-radially of said chamber withanaccompanying axial movement to engage a differ-* ent step when axialpressure is applied, and a backing platereleasably retained in saidcham-" ber inwardly of said sets of 'wedge plates.

'ELVVYN WATT CORRIG'AN.

" R5 LIN'DNER.

J-REFERENCES CITED,

The following references are of record.v

file-of this patent:

nUNITED STATES PATENTS.

